The company, which on its website states the aim of "recognizing and encouraging technical women," hired the dancers for an after-party attended by mostly male professionals from the gaming industry, which is also struggling with gender equity and misogyny problems.
Pictures and videos of the event, which had proceeded a "Women in Gaming Luncheon" organized by the tech giant, showed women wearing mini-skirts and crop tops dancing on podiums.
Inappropriate? Not a big deal? @Microsoft hires scantily clad women to dance at #SF #tech party. @NightbeatTV 10p pic.twitter.com/I1Nibu6erJโ Veronica De La Cruz (@VeronicaDLCruz) March 19, 2016
The women were also told to "speak with attendees and encourage them to the dance floor," according to some who were present. This is apparently not a first for the company.
@aarongreenberg @ZenMobius @XboxP3 @Xbox @Microsoft Aaron, this isn't just this party. I've seen the same at other MS events in San Fran. โ Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) March 18, 2016
@ZenMobius @XboxP3 @Xbox @Microsoft @Spacekatgal @GDC Very disappointed to see this, going to follow up with team. โ Aaron Greenberg (@aarongreenberg) March 18, 2016
Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox division, addressed the "unfortunate events" in a statement on the company's website, stating that it "did not reflect the core values and beliefs of Xbox" and that it was "absolutely not consistent or aligned" with the company's values.
Microsoft used underage actresses dressed as schoolgirls in their 2012 TV ad for the Surface.
Comment: The Microsoft execs that approved of this are a bunch of misogynistic pigs.